ITNS is pleased to announce the availability of a $2,500 research grant. The purpose of this grant is to encourage qualified ITNS members to advance the body of transplant knowledge. This grant may be used to support research projects, a systematic review of the literature, a meta-analysis, a quality improvement initiative or a program evaluation project.

Expanded and updated to reflect today's thinking, the ITNS Core Curriculum for Transplant Nurses, second edition offers real-life direction on the science and skills required for every kind of solid organ transplant — from initial evaluation to long-term follow-up. Order your copy today! ITNS members pay only $79.99 USD!

News-MedicalA new analysis indicates that few strategies to increase living kidney donation have been evaluated effectively; however, educational strategies targeted to recipients and their family and friends have the best evidence of being successful. The analysis, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), also provides possible suggestions that could help investigators, organizations, and policy makers determine which, out of the many strategies that may be used to increase living donation, should be considered.READ MORE

Clinical TransplantationDual kidney transplantation (DKT) was developed to improve outcomes from transplantation of extended criteria donors (ECD). This study examined which surgical techniques have been reported for DKT and whether any technique had superior patient and graft survival.READ MORE

HealioIn concordance with increasing rates of obesity in the U.S., researchers estimate there will be about a 55% increase in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis as indication for liver transplant over the next 15 years, according to results from a recent study.
“We demonstrated an increase in NASH-related liver transplant waitlist additions is expected to occur 9 years after population-level increases in obesity,” Neehar D. Parikh, MD, from the University of Michigan, and colleagues wrote. READ MORE

By Keith Carlson Nurses have embraced new media and digital technologies with varying degrees of enthusiasm since well before the turn of the century. Some nurses and nursing organizations utilize blogs, podcasts, social media and video as platforms for health promotion, entrepreneurship, leadership and career development. Such technologies can continue to be harnessed for the good of the nursing profession and the healthcare ecosystem in general.READ MORE

Rare Disease ReportGamida Cell announced that an investigator-initiated study testing their candidate CordIn, to treat severe aplastic anemia (AA) or hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has begun, and the first patient was given the drug.
Severe AA is a condition in which the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells for the body, and hypoplastic MDS is characterized by decreased marrow cellularity.READ MORE

Clinical TransplantationSelf-monitoring of lung function, vital signs, and symptoms is crucial for lung transplant recipients (LTRs) to ensure early detection of complications and prompt intervention. This study sought to identify patterns and correlates of adherence to self-monitoring among LTRs over the first 12 months post-discharge from transplant. This study analyzed existing data from the usual care arm participants of a randomized clinical trial who tracked self-monitoring activities using paper-and-pencil logs.READ MORE

DailyNurseMany nurses work for health care organizations that have social media policies to govern their online behavior in the workplace. It’s navigating social media at home when the risk can increase for inappropriately posting identifying patient, coworker, or hospital information on personal computers or other electronic devices.READ MORE

Specialty Pharmacy TimesAt times, it can be difficult for patients to remember to take their medications, especially those with a new or complex dosing regimen. Even if a patient knows that it is vital for them to take their medication for a chronic disease state, there is still a large percentage of patients who are non-adherent.
Patients who have undergone an organ transplant often fall into this category. Those who have received a transplant and are non-adherent to their medication regimens are more likely to experience graft failure and higher health care costs.
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